


The peach tree

by EthanolMusket



Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Ancient China, Diabetes inducing fluff, Flowers, Fluff, M/M, chinese fae, xian
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-31
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-10-20 02:52:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17614043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EthanolMusket/pseuds/EthanolMusket
Summary: A young prince decides to leave behind his life of luxury after a disturbing dream to find his own path. He arrives to a garden in a temple, were all plants are beautiful but a small peach tree in the center which has yet to flourish. The prince decides to care for said tree until it blooms.





	The peach tree

Hakuryuu had been a lucky boy, being born as the fourth prince inside the Ren dynasty some years after the Great War and the unification of the country. He had been fortunate in not living in those onerous war times, both his older brothers had as well as some of his cousins. When he asked them about how it had been out there, they all decided to change the subject, or address more relevant matters than a long past war. 

So, the young prince grew to his spring years in a flowering palace, rich and surrounded by servants, his robes made of the finest silk and with the most elaborate designs, his hair adorned with gold ornaments to hold it in place, everything he desired he could have.   
However, he was more resilient than his family against the vanity and greed that was spreading across the palace, but what defined his path was a dream he had the night of his sixteenth birthday. Hakuryuu was walking through the great halls of the palace; the bright lights that gave life to it snuffed out by a cold, howling wind. His feet made a loud cracking sound against the brittle wood, the colors that adorned the place were absent, replaced by somber, lifeless tones. After what seemed an eternity of strolling through darkness he came to a halt to the entrance of the garden. Both the guardian statues were broken and beheaded, which was nothing but a bad omen. He didn’t want to enter, but his feet wouldn’t obey him, his muscles felt detached from his mind, his body felt foreign and too light. The lotus lake that surrounded the garden was dry, the grass gone and replaced with eroded, unfertile dirt.

In the middle of the garden there was a small tree, curiously the same size as Hakuryuu. It was withering, its twigs too thin and dry, some green leaves were still clinging to it as hard as they could. A nightmarish garden of dead trees surrounded the small one, was it destined to die like them?   
Finally, the prince woke up, beads of sweat rolled down his face, his hands cold. He understood what he had to do, his current lifestyle was damaging and rotting him. Basking on the spoils of wars didn’t stroke him as a good thing when he was a child, but he had no option. Now he had, and he decided to seek for his own truth. He packed some of his treasures and gold ornaments as well as money, since he would need some source of income in the outside world to survive. He sneaked to the kitchen to get some rations as well, packing rice and fruits; some maids spotted him but he told them he was just very hungry and they didn’t disturb him further. The prince made his way outside the palace, stealthily into the servants’ house not far from there. He stole some black and blue hemp clothes, a straw hat and a pair of sandals, leaving a good amount of coins behind worth more than double of what he had taken.

Since it was a time of peace, the outskirts weren’t heavily guarded, and so, Hakuryuu used the shelter of the night and his disguise to his favor, looked back one last time to say his goodbyes and walked away. He walked all night, admiring for the first time how clear the dark sky looked and how vast were the stars veiling it. At dawn, he sat down under a tree, ate some fruit and rested. He continued his journey for some more days, passing villages, amazed at how different they were from the palace. It felt like he had jumped into another world. The grandiose of the palace and the capital couldn’t be compared to these humble villages, but the air seemed lighter, and they compensated their lack of shine on how happy the people look, the joy they took while doing their work, how carefully they tended to their lands, as small as they were, the crops were flourishing nicely.   
Hakuryuu wasn’t sure why he was so awestruck with this, the little wooden houses looked old but almost in every one of them he could hear children laughing and smell a hearty meal. In many small villages he encountered the same scenery, but for some reason, his heart didn’t belong there, and his feet refused to stop their journey, almost like in his dream.

After a few more days, while walking through a meadow near the Ku-She Mountain, he found an old temple, the wood was brittle, and the sound of nature added to the harmonious feeling of the place. 

Somehow, it felt all right to be in that place, it felt peaceful and gave him a strange sense of belonging, so he proceeded, hoping to find someone living there. Crossing the gate to the temple felt like being transported to another place, his sky blue eyes opened in amazement at the magnificent garden that greeted him. Not even the gardens of the palace held a candle to the temple’s garden, and even if it wasn’t as big, it was way more lively, and colorful. Flowers of unimaginable colors were everywhere, beautiful wisteria trees swayed along with the wind, huge trees with apples of every shade of red adorned the entrance to the temple. But in the center, there was a small, peach tree with no leaves whatsoever, it looked out of place in that magnificent garden. The prince approached it and stroked its twigs gently, afraid they would snap since they looked so fragile.

“Poor thing, why are you so small and weak in this great garden? Are you sick?”

“My, we never have visitors around here, welcome to the Ku-She temple, young traveler” an old monk had walked out the door, wearing a kind smile on his face. “It’s good to see some human company after all these years”

Hakuryuu bowed out of courtesy . “I am a traveler, my name is Hakuryuu, I couldn’t help but take a look at this temple...your garden is amazing...but I am concerned about this peach tree here, why is it small and dull compared to the rest?”

The monk chuckled. “Some things need more time to grow, even though it looks like this, this peach tree is alive and well, it has been here since I moved here, a really long time ago”

“Has it bloomed before?” the prince stroked one of the twigs.

“Not once...but give it time” the monk continued. “He is accompanied by this garden”

Hakuryuu was deep in thought. The peach tree reminded him of his dream the night he decided to leave the palace, maybe it was a sign and he made his mind.  
“Please, allow me to stay and help you care for the garden and this tree. I have gold and some food and I also will work my best to be of aid”

“You may stay here all the time you like, I am old and I’d very much welcome company and a helping hand”

With that, Hakuryuu stayed in the temple with the old monk. He helped around the basic chores, learned how to cook but most of his time he spent it at the garden. The monk told him all he knew about the plants, the offerings and prayers for them to grow, he even knew the story of almost every tree and flower in there, but Hakuryuu’s mind always wandered to the peach tree, and he spent a lot of time on it. He used natural compost on the dirt where it was buried, trimmed the dead twigs and cleaned it off its dead bark and left offerings for it almost daily. When there was nothing else to fix, he would sit by its side to read some temple scrolls. 

A month went by like this, it was a regular afternoon and the boy was lying on his back next to the tree, he was resting his eyes shut, the rustling of the leaves surrounding them was soothing, the herbal smell on them was very pleasant. It was like the wind was singing in murmurs, the song became clearer until it sounded like a soft humming from an actual voice, almost like a lullaby. The prince indulged some moments in the melody before opening his eyes and finding a pair of striking red eyes framed by thick, dark lashes staring at him. 

He gasped and sat down, looking at the stranger staring back, and was breath taken by the other’s appearance. It looked otherworldly overall, it had been the first time he had seen anyone with eyes of such color, his skin was as pale as the first snow of winter, his hair as dark and long as ink pouring over a papyrus, his body covered in long, scarlet fancy robes that seemed to shine with the sun, brighter than any silk he had seen. 

“I thought you liked my song? You seemed to be enjoying yourself” the newcomer smiled brightly. “You’ve been working very hard in here lately, haven’t you? You’ve done quite the job!”

Hakuryuu stared dumbfounded for a while, before he regained his senses. 

“You think so? This garden was beautiful even before I got here, so I can’t take all the credit...”

“Don’t act humble, even the old man would agree, this place is way more lively”

“You know him?”

“I do, he is kind and hardworking but his age is starting to be a problem for himself...but that’s just natural...” he shrugged. “Anyways, I’ve seen you have taken a liking to this tree”

“Ah...the peach tree. You see, it strikes me as weird how everything grows wondrously in here except for it, so I’ve decided to stay until it blooms...for some reason, I feel like I should be doing so...”

“Until it blooms, huh? That may take some time...” the boy played with one of his long hair strands, deep in thought.

“You must think I sound strange...” Hakuryuu looked to the ground, a bit embarrassed. Here he was, talking of such unnatural things with a young boy that looked like royalty of sorts. 

“A bit, but I don’t think that’s bad. I’m Judal” he smiled the brightest smile which made the prince return the gesture almost instinctively.

“I am Hakuryuu, so...where do you live? Is there a mansion around here? Are you from the capital?”

Judal hummed softly, thinking on his response. “I’m from around” he shrugged finally. “Been here for a while”

Hakuryuu wondered on Judal’s words, maybe he was the heir to someone very rich that had lived in the country all of their life. But Judal was so...unique and beautiful, he’d understand why his parents would try to hide him from the capital’s bustle. 

“So you’ve never visited the capital?” the prince continued, curiously.

“No...I don’t have the need to, it’s probably crowded and overrun by people that don’t stop to see around, shallow fellows...but you are not like them, Hakuryuu” he grinned. “I can tell, you seem like a fun kind of guy” 

For someone of such high status, Judal possessed some peculiar manners, or so Hakuryuu thought. But he didn’t dislike it, it was the opposite, he found his easygoing attitude alluring and refreshing. 

“Hakuryuu, dinner is ready!” the monk’s voice could be heard from inside the temple, the prince hadn’t notice night time was almost over them. 

“It’s late, should I escort you home, Judal?” 

Judal stared at him for a while and chuckled. “I’ll be fine, I’ve lived here forever, you go on, I will be seeing you” 

Hakuryuu smiled and nodded, said his goodnights and hurried back to the temple. Dinner wasn’t elegant as it would be in the palace, but it was way more flavorful. 

“So, I met someone today, I didn’t hear him enter” Hakuryuu started as he placed his empty dish on the table. “But he looked like royalty, wearing silk and bearing red and golden colors in it”

“Hmm? You did? I have never seen someone like that around”, the old man commented, curiosity shinning in his eyes.

“Really? He told me he has lived in here forever...maybe he hadn’t approached before? But he seemed to know you and the garden...he said his name was Judal”

The monk was in thought for a while and he smiled. “I think you are lucky, dear boy, to have made such a friend, you should cherish that meeting and value it...just a few people see xian in their lifetime” 

“Xian?...” Hakuryuu was surprised, he had heard about xian a long time ago in fairy tales, but could barely recall anything.

“They are immune to heat and cold, untouched by the elements and time; they can fly, mounting upward with a fluttering motion. They dwell apart from the chaotic world of man, subsist on air and dew, are not anxious like ordinary people, and have the smooth skin and innocent faces of children. The transcendent live an effortless existence, unlike us mortals” he picked the dishes from the small table. “I guess your passion attracted such a being, and it’s a sign of good luck”

The prince was in thought that night, he wanted to meet Judal again, it had to be true, the way he moved, the rare grace of his actions, it all pointed to them belonging to a xian. He hoped not much time passed the next time he met the mysterious boy. But it didn’t since the next day, as Hakuryuu was trimming some flowers he heard someone calling his name. 

“Hey, Hakuryuu!” Judal waved and walked eagerly next to him, his steps silent as a soft breeze. 

“What are you doing? Huh? You have made a great job with the peonies” he smiled widely. “You are so good at this, you know?”

“I am flattered you think so, I picked up some of them as an offering for the peach tree, do you think it’ll like them?”

Judal stared at him for a while and then at the flowers on his hands, a warm smile drawing on his face. “He does all right”

“Would you accompany me deliver them to him then?” Hakuryuu continued and Judal grinned, grabbing the prince’s hand and running to the tree, it was a short distance, but Hakuryuu could swear the wind carried them to that place.

Hakuryuu placed the flowers on the ground and dedicated a small prayer to the tree, red eyes just staring at him constantly while he did this.   
“So...have you done gardening before in your life?” Judal asked, crawling close to Hakuryuu and sitting on the grass. The prince sat down next to him, taking a deep breath and looking at the sky. 

“Not once” he smiled. “I wouldn’t have imagined I had skill for this, ever...actually, I would never had skill for anything if I had stayed in the place where I was born...”

“Mmm...is it far away?” Judal played with a loose string from Hakuryuu’s hemp manchu, disregarding how close he got to the boy. The closeness didn’t bother the prince though, Judal smelled nice, like a peach blossom in winter, it was comforting and nostalgic at the same time. 

“I walked all the way here for days...I didn’t stop for long, so yes, I think it’s very far...”Hakuryuu was in thought, wondering how his family was doing, if he was missed, if they were searching for him. He hoped not, because he hadn’t felt so at peace in all of his life. 

Judal studied the mixed feelings on Hakuryuu’s face, his elegant features shone with the sun, he could swear some of the clear sky above them had nested in the prince’s eyes, for he felt he could stare at them forever and find shapes in the clouds that were his emotions. 

“You miss that place?” he placed a snow white hand over Hakuryuu’s hand reassuringly. 

“Not really...I’d lie if I said I did, I miss my family sometimes...but I’m sure my brothers will understand my decision, I’m sure they would have wished me a safe journey and prayed for my happiness” 

Judal nodded slowly, removing his hand gently to lie back on the grass. “They sound like good people”

“They are”

“But not as good as you, Hakuryuu” 

“Well, they are heroes of war; I could never match their abilities...”

“I like your skill better, the skill to make this garden flourish, the skill to throw it all away and look for something new...and I’m glad you found it here...Hakuryuu” 

The prince could feel his face getting hot, even if he adored his brothers and would dissuade with anyone that thought otherwise, he wouldn’t dare contradict the xian, not with how friendly and kind he was towards him, not when he had given him something more to look forward to everyday. 

“Thank you, Judal”

“No need!”he beamed a grin before his attention returned to the skies. “Clouds are so playful, that one looks like the old monk!” Judal pointed up, and Hakuryuu chuckled and couldn’t agree more.

All afternoon they spent finding shapes in the clouds, some looked like animals, other looked like persons, and some of them like trees. Night time caught them off guard once more and they had to say their farewells when it was time for the prince to return inside the temple. That night, Hakuryuu dreamed he was with his new friend running in the skies, counting the stars, laughing and playing on the soft clouds, with not a care in the world, just the two of them.

The next day, he didn’t see Judal until past noon, he was planting some seeds when he felt a hand on his shoulder, a gentle tug and saw the usual grin he had grown to look forward to everyday. Judal had one hand behind his back and eagerly moved it to show Hakuryuu what he was hiding. It was a lotus flower, but unlike any he had seen before, this was by far bigger and seemed to glow beautifully.

“Oh! This lotus...it’s lovely, Judal”

“Peonies mean riches, prosperity and honor... so I got you this lotus, it reminds me of you. The lotus is born from murky water, but it blooms beautifully despite this... it represents purity, humility and honor, also it is a symbol of a long life” 

“Thank you, it’s beautiful...you didn’t have to” Hakuryuu reached for the flower and held it on his hands; he could feel the magic and good will that flowed from it. His heart was beating fast in his chest, compared to the gifts he had received in the palace, and for outsiders, a flower would look like a simple gift, but no present had made him feel this way before, and he was grateful for it. 

“It’s no big deal, and I wanted you to have it!” 

“I will cherish this forever, Judal”

That day, Judal taught Hakuryuu more about what each flower and tree represented, and the prince was thrilled to learn such things. He told Hakuryuu they should walk to the mountain together one day, so he could see different types of flowers that grew near the top, and the prince was more than willing. Days passed like this, Judal would bring him flowers often, orchids in honor of their friendship, azaleas for Hakuryuu’s passion, narcissus as protection. Hakuryuu would give him peonies, chrysanthemums that represented nobility and elegance, and roses. The monk was thrilled with the beautiful flowers his friend brought to the house that never seemed to wither. He called them blessed, and even if Hakuryuu had insisted on him to go out and meet Judal, he had refused, saying he wouldn’t want to scare him away nor interfere with their everyday meetings. The prince had given up on trying to convince him, but the monk told him not to worry about trivialities and to enjoy his youth and his friendship. 

Another month went by; early in the morning Hakuryuu walked out to the garden and was greeted with a new sprout that bloomed in the peach tree. He was elated, and ran back inside to his mentor.

“I did it sir! The peach tree!” 

The monk’s eyes widened “You did?! I’m too old lad, give me a hand and let me see”

Hakuryuu helped the monk walk out and they both admired the tiny sprout, offering it a prayer and some tangerine incense to celebrate its prosperity.   
“It’s grateful to you, boy, you have made this tree happy...i’m so proud of you, after living here for so long not once did I see it sprout, this is a miracle and I’m glad I was able to see it with my eyes”

“You’ll see it bloom as well” Hakuryuu replied enthusiastically. 

“...yes, I will look forward to it” the monk smiled softly. “I have to put some incense in the main altar for it, so I will see you later, Hakuryuu” he walked back in and Hakuryuu sat next to the tree. Some minutes later, Judal arrived, his robes were rose tinted, and they waved along with the wind as well as his long hair, just like a black ocean. 

“Judal!” Hakuryuu ran to him and grabbed both his hands happily. “The tree, it sprouted!” he pulled Judal behind him to show him the source of his happiness. Judal smiled warmly, holding Hakuryuu’s hand a bit tighter. 

“Heh, I knew you’d do it! You can do whatever you want, Hakuryuu...you’ve learned so much and your spirit has grown magnificently...I bet you could do anything...” his grip tightened a bit more.

Hakuryuu looked at Judal, whose red eyes were dark and clouded in thought. He placed his free hand on top of Judal’s one comfortingly. 

“I believe you, but I think I can grow more in here, I want to grow along with this garden and with you…this was all thanks to you, wasn’t it?” 

“Nah, you did this, Hakuryuu...I was just watching”

“Judal...” Hakuryuu stared intently at the other’s eyes, his hands moving slowly upwards to hold the xian’s face, his skin soft and smooth like silk, Judal mimicked his action, but he stroked his face with his thumb, deeply fascinated by such tender, mortal skin; scarlet eyes shining bright, but the spell was interrupted by a loud sound of something breaking inside the temple.

“That was-!” Hakuryuu ran quickly back to the temple, finding the monk on the floor, some vases broken around him. “Hang in there!” the prince carried him and hurried back to the man’s room, placing him on the bed and running to get some fresh water for him. After helping him drink, the monk opened his eyes with difficulty.

“I am sorry to worry you, dear boy...as you can see I’m too old and my fire is waning...but this is a normal path for all living things...” the monk looked to the door and gasped softly. “Oh...Hakuryuu...your friend is here”

Hakuryuu turned to see Judal standing in the frame of the room, looking at the monk and then at Hakuryuu. He floated next to the bed and sat down. 

“Hey old man, you’re transcending...you did good here, so worry not...the garden and the spirits here are grateful to you… I am as well, for caring for Hakuryuu all this time”

The monk chuckled. “My, it is an honor, dear. Would you look out for this boy when I’m gone?”

Judal smiled widely. “I will, it’s a promise. I also promise you’ll be reborn as the guardian of this garden you loved so much, your energy has transformed all into yang, and you will rise as a Dìxiān” 

“Dìxiān?” the prince thought out loudly. 

“An earth immortal, when a mortal lives their life with virtue they become immortals instead of ghosts, there are levels of this, however...or so I remember, it’s been quite a while since I’ve talked about all this” Judal shrugged. 

“Thank you, lord xian...” the monk said weakly, his eyes serene and peaceful. “I am grateful”

“I did nothing, this is your legacy. Now rest, for in some years you will wake up as the new guardian xian of the divine garden, Zagan”

That night, Zagan’s mortal body died, Judal helped Hakuryuu bury him in the garden, they both prayed for his transcending, offered him flowers from the garden and the mountain alike, incense, oil candles and songs Judal sung in a language full of magic and mystery, the garden joined into the melody with its swaying leaves, even if there was no wind that night. It didn’t seem like a funeral, but like a festival. 

After that day, Judal visited Hakuryuu in the temple, helped him with his chores and to watch the garden, after sunset, he would float away into the night. Judal told him he flew over the mountain and sometimes beyond during nighttime, to make sure everything was all right, but Hakuryuu got the feeling Judal also did this to amuse himself since he was such a free spirit. It didn’t matter to him, as long as the xian returned every day to meet him, it was all right.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this some years ago and finally decided to post it, it's practically fluff without real plot, but I did took my time researching the flower meanings and some xian lore. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.


End file.
